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An easy Pizzelle recipe for the classic Italian cookie, lightly sweetened and flavored with vanilla or anise. All you need are 6 ingredients and 1 pizzelle maker!
I learned about Pizzelle from one of my best childhood friends. Her family made Pizzelle the traditional way, with an iron that had engraved plates and a clamp to hold it together.
Loosely translated, Pizzelle means “small, flat, and round” and that’s exactly what these cookies are.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Equipment and ingredient notes
- Pizzelle iron: Modern versions of pizzelle makers are just like waffle makers. They’re silvery, shiny, and beautiful, and they also make cookies! We rounded up the best pizzelle makers you can buy, and our top pick is the one I personally own and love – the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press.
- Anise: Anise is a common flavor, or you can use vanilla or almond extract. For lemon, use 1 teaspoon lemon oil instead of lemon extract (lemon extract doesn’t have enough flavor).
Do you need a pizzelle maker to make pizzelle?
I tested some of the most popular hacks on the Internet to see if you can in fact make pizzelle without a pizzelle iron—and none of them worked! I tried making them in a waffle maker, the oven, and on a stovetop. The waffle maker made pizzelle-flavored waffles, and the oven and stove top both led to pizzelle-flavored pancakes.
We rounded up the best pizzelle makers you can buy, and our top pick is the one I personally own and love – the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press. You can buy it at Walmart for $46.99. If you’re not looking to spend a ton of money, the Dash Mini Pizzelle Maker is a great option, too. It’s so cute—and it’s only $9.99 at Target!
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat pizzelle iron and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, butter, anise or vanilla extract, baking powder, and eggs.
- Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of batter on to pizzelle iron and close.
- Bake as directed by manufacturer or until golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a nonstick spatula, remove each pizzelle to a cooling rack; repeat with remaining batter.
- Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 36 cookies, 12 servings of 3 cookies each.
- Storage: Store Pizzelle at room temperature for up to 2 weeks (for best results, layer the cookies between pieces of parchment paper or wax paper).
- Freezer: Pack cooled Pizzelle in a sturdy container between layers of parchment or wax paper (they may get broken if they are just in plastic bags). Label, date, and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Rolled: While the pizzelle are still warm from the iron, wrap them around a wooden dowel. You can even fill them with sweetened ricotta for a Mock Cannoli.
- Bake sale: Pizzelle are ideal for a bake sale or cookie swap because they are rarer than the usual chocolate chip cookies or brownies, and they look so fantastic wrapped in a small plastic treat bag tied with a pretty bow.
- Italian menu: Create your own Italian Feast with a traditional Antipasto Platter or Bruschetta, Spaghetti and Meatballs or Lasagna, Caesar Salad, Garlic Bread, or Panzanella Salad. Finish up the meal with Pizzelle, of course, or thick slabs of Tiramisu.
- Drinks with dessert: Looking for a cool Italian cocktail? Try a bright Aperol Spritz, a sweet Bellini, or a classic Negroni or Americano. Or, sip on some Limoncello.
Recipe FAQs
I tested every internet hack I could find to see if you can make pizzelle without a pizzelle iron. None of them worked! I tried making them in a waffle maker, in the oven (between 2 baking sheets), and in a skillet (flattened with something heavy on top). The waffle maker made pizzelle flavored waffles, and the oven and stove-top both led to pizzelle flavored pancakes. If you’re going to make pizzelle, you need a pizzelle iron.
Pizzelle comes from the word pizze which means round and flat, like a pizza. The elle part of the word means small (the diminutive). So pizzelle are small and flat.
The oldest known cookies in the world are Pizzelle, a small, flat cookie from Italy. Centuries ago, a small village called Colcullo was overrun by snakes. They were driven out by a Benedictine monk named San Domenico. The village celebrated with pizzelle and the Festival of the Snakes (or the Feast Day of San Domenico), still held every year on May 1st. Snake lovers, bring your own snake!
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Pizzelle
Equipment
- Pizzelle iron I love my Cuisinart Pizzelle Press, but, I'm also a big fan of CucinaPro pizzelle makers! You can get one that makes mini cookies or regular size on Amazon.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup butter melted and cooled
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon anise or vanilla extract (see note 2)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat pizzelle iron and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, butter, eggs, anise or vanilla extract, and baking powder. Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of batter on to pizzelle iron and close.
- Bake as directed by manufacturer or until golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Using a nonstick spatula, remove each pizzelle to a cooling rack; repeat with remaining batter.
- Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Pizzelle iron: Modern versions are just like a waffle maker: a silvery, shiny, beautiful waffle maker that makes cookies. I use and recommend the Cuisinart Pizzelle Press, which you can buy for $49.95 on Amazon.
- Anise: Anise is a common flavor, or you can use vanilla or almond extract. For lemon, use 1 teaspoon lemon oil instead of lemon extract (lemon extract doesn’t have enough flavor).
- Yield: This recipe makes about 36 cookies, 12 servings of 3 cookies each.
- Storage: Store Pizzelle at room temperature for up to 2 weeks (for best results, layer the cookies between pieces of parchment paper or wax paper).
- Freezer: Pack cooled Pizzelle in a sturdy container between layers of parchment or wax paper (they may get broken if they are just in plastic bags). Label, date, and freeze up to 2 months.
WOW! I’m so glad that I found your recipe! No wonder you have so many great reviews. I have the Cuisinart Pizzelle maker and followed the recipe that it comes with, but your recipe is so much better. Every other recipe that I’ve looked at, tells you mix ingredients in different bowls and use ant electric beater, so I thought there would be an issue by just using one bowl and mixing all the ingredients at once but just as you showed in your video, it worked out perfect. The only thing I didn’t do was spray my pizzelle maker. It’s non-stick and the pizzelles come off so easy with a silicone spatula. Nothing sticks and cleanup is a breeze. Like you, I also used salted butter. There are some recipes that have salt listed in the ingredients, so I figured, why not just use salted butter? The only thing I plan on doing in the future is experiment with adding different extracts and maybe add a little bit more than a tablespoon. I also want to try them with cocoa. Thank you Meggan for the perfect pizzelle recipe! YUMMY 🙂
Hi Bun! I’m so happy you did, too! I love playing and experimenting with this recipe – cocoa, espresso, lemon, orange… really anything I can get my hands on! I’m glad they came off the maker easily, it’s always my worry! Thank you so much for the lovely comment! Please write again to update me on your experiments, I look forward to it! – Meggan
How would you adapt this to make chocolate pizzelles?
Hi Angela, I would replace 1/4 cup of the flour with cocoa powder. Take care! – Meggan
Absolutely perfect. I did 1tbsp of Vanilla and 1 tbsp of almond because I like the combination.
Hi Janet, vanilla and almonds is the best combo. I’m so glad you loved the cookies, and I’m so grateful you took time out of your busy day to leave a comment and let me know. Thank you! Happy New Year! -Meggan
Perfect as is. I didn’t have anise extract so I used almond. Yummy!
Sounds delicious, AP! – Meggan
We love this recipe, but we are looking to make chocolate mint pizzelles for the holidays this year. Any suggestion on the ratio of flour to cocoa powder? Anything else we might want to add?
Hi Brian, sounds delicious! You’ve inspired me to try a batch myself during the holiday break! I would replace 1/4 cup of the flour with the cocoa, and substitute the extract with peppermint extract. I’m thinking some instant coffee or espresso might add a nice flavor. I would probably start with a teaspoon, make and try one cookie, then adjust as needed. Also, another option would be to add some orange zest, probably starting with 1/4 teaspoon and adjusting as needed. Thank you so much for the question and inspiration! – Meggan
I have been looking for this recipe for all the years that I have been making Pizzelles. It is fool proof. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Virginia! Take care! – Meggan
Light, crispy and so tasty! Easy to make in a short time. A favorite of our family and they turned out perfect! My go-to recipe!
Thanks for posting this recipe. It is the best. I added anise seeds to it and they were perfect.
You’re welcome, Mary! Sounds delicious! – Meggan
Have you ever tried using gluten free flour?
Hi Kim, I haven’t tried it myself, another reader has though! They wrote that they used a couple flours and a gluten-free blend, adding one more egg to increase the fat. Hope this helps! – Meggan
I have never made these but would love to try them. Can I use my Krumkaka iron or my waffle iron to cook them? Can’t afford the pizelli iron!
Hi Jo, I hope you love them! You can definitely make them in the Krumkaka iron. I would caution against using a waffle iron, they come out like pizzelle-flavored waffles. Take care! – Meggan